04/23/24
May 09, 2003
Because even Steve Lavin deserves another shot ...: The Boilermakers are apparently willing to look at the bedraggled former UCLA coach as an assistant-in-waiting for Gene Keady to retire. The larger question is, why do (IMHO) bad coaches get second and third chances when there are tons of other head coaches and assistants waiting for their shot?
posted by wfrazerjr to basketball at 11:11 AM - 3 comments
Yes, Little was, along with lots of other successful coaches. But more often than not, schmuck coaches get recycled and get jobs that keeps others in the lower ranks. My point is, what the hell did Steve Lavin do in his last job that would make Purdue think he would be successful as their head coach a couple years from now? He took a program that has no difficulty recruiting top talent and turned them into a freaking joke. As for Rick Pitino, he had been wildly successful as a college head coach, then stepped up and stunk in the NBA. Returning to the NCAA made perfect sense.
posted by wfrazerjr at 05:14 PM on May 09, 2003
For the most part, UCLA wasn't a joke under Lavin's tenure, except this year. For a guy who probably wasn't prepared to coach the Bruins, he did an okay job. On the other hand, Lavin is simply a guy who looks the part and talks the talk, so he's going to get opportunities. I'm surprised that Penn State and Clemson didn't make a run at him.
posted by jackhererra at 02:15 PM on May 10, 2003
Aw, cmon, give the guy a break! He's a succesful coach, he just had a horrible season. Some coaches do very well with a second chance. ESPN's Bill Simmons wrote a great article on Rick Pitino and his *interesting* few seasons with the Celtics. However, I'm all for giving longtime assistants a chance. Wasn't Red Sox Manager Grady Little a minor-league manager for a half a lifetime before he got a shot?